The morning after Red Sox became the new “Evil Empire”…

Red Sox 4, Rockies 3

Another Series for the Red Sox, another sweep for a championship.

Nearly three years to the day of their first World Series win in 86 years, the Boston Red Sox wrapped up their seventh championship, downing the dormant Colorado Rockies 4-3 at Coors Field in Denver.

This time last season, Boston starter Jon Lester was getting chemotherapy treatments for cancer; this season, he pitched well enough to earn a victory and his club’s second World Series win in four years. Manager Terry Francona stated the lefty needed to hurl for six innings. Instead, he pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed just three hits while walking three and striking out three.

The Red Sox jumped to an early lead in the first after David Ortiz singled home rookie spark-plug Jacoby Ellsbury, who led off the festivities to left field.

Both teams remained quiet till the fifth inning, when Series MVP winner Mike Lowell throttled a double to deep left center at Coors.  Two hitters later, Lowell scored on a base knock by captain Jason Varitek.  The MVP Lowell  would help tack on another run for the Red Sox with a long drive over the left field wall in the seventh to give the Sox a 3-0 lead with nine outs remaining for the Rockies.

The Rockies finally responded in the bottom half as outfielder Brad Hawpe belted a towering drive to right field to give the Rockies their first run of the night and made the score 3-1.

The Sox volleyed back in the eighth with a home run of their own as pinch-hitter Bobby Kielty, batting for reliever Mike Timlin, lined a drive on the first pitch from Colorado set-up man Brian Fuentes to take on their fourth — and final — tally to make it 4-3.

The bottom half of the inning saw the Rockies trying to claw their way back into the game.  Todd Helton, who has struggled much of the Series with the stick, stroked a single to the left side of the infield after slugger Matt Holliday grounded out.  Garret Atkins followed Helton by smoking a drive off reliever Hideki Okajima for a two-run dinger to left to put the Rockies within one, 4-3.

After Atkins’ tater, Francona tabbed closer Jon Papelbon to handle the game’s last five outs and eventually wrapped up the BoSox’s seventh championship, striking out pinch-hitter Seth Smith for the final out.

Box score provided by MLB.com. Video taken from ESPN.com. Additional information compiled from outside sources.